WT/GC/W/893   
13 July 2023  
(23-4740) Page: 1/2 
General Council  Original: Spanish  
 
  
FOOD SECURITY THROUGH AGRICULTURAL REFORM: TOWARDS OUTCOMES  
IN AGRICULTURE AT THE THIRTEENTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE  
COMMUNICATION FROM ARGENTINA, PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA, BRAZIL,  CHILE,  
COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR,  
GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU AND URUGUAY  
The following communication, dated 13 July 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Argentina, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colo mbia, Costa  Rica, 
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El  Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and 
Uruguay.  
 
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1.  Our countries make a significant contribution to global food security through their production and 
export of food in a m anner that is sustainable and does not distort world markets. At the last 
Ministerial Conference, we endorsed the Statement on the Reform of the Multilateral Rules on 
Agricultural Trade (WT/MIN(22)/17), in which we undert ook to work together and make progr ess in 
an ambitious and decisive manner on the three pillars of the Agreement on Agriculture in order to 
arrive at a fairer, more transparent, predictable, equitable and market -oriented agricultural trading 
system, in line with Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture. R eform of the multilateral rules on 
agricultural trade remains a priority for our countries and should be the systemic driving force of the 
Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13).  
2.  Today most developing countries face not only market -acces s barriers, but also the consequences 
of the extensive use by other Members of their fiscal capacity to accentuate distortions. This is 
compounded by the increasing challenges, including those related to extreme climatic events, which 
agricultural producer s, especially vulnerable small and medium -sized producers, in our region face.  
3.  The lack of substantive progress in the domestic support and market access reform process for 
more than 20 years has not only made it impossible to correct and prevent restricti ons and 
distortions in world agricultural markets, but has, in some cases, caused them to increase. As a 
result, the agricultural sector remains the most distorted in international trade. A more equitable 
agricultural trading system has not yet been establ ished, with a level playing field, capable of 
performing its key role in sustainable development and in responding to food security and nutrition 
challenges.  
4.  The challenges of global food security and environmental degradation make it more important 
than e ver to move decisively on reform under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, with a 
balanced approach that addresses the needs of all Members. Food security and reform are indivisible 
issues at the WTO. A concrete step forward in the reform process would signal that the multilateral 
trading system is capable of addressing key challenges for its Members and would open the way to 
outcomes in other areas.  Reform is also one of the most effective ways in which the WTO can 
contribute to common env ironmental objectives, including the fight against climate change, in the 
area of agriculture.  WT/GC/W/893  
 
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  5.  In this regard, we are convinced that : 
• Reform under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture will help to ensure food security 
at the global level, as well as for each WTO Member, especially developing countries.  
• Progress should be made to deliver concrete and tangible results across the three pillars 
of the Agreement on Agriculture.  
• The results should also be ambitious to correct and prevent distortions that negatively 
affect the economies and development of other Members, especially their small and 
medium -sized agricultural producers.  
• Reform of the domestic support pilla r, including product -specific support and the 
concentration of subsidies,  should be addressed as a priority at MC13  in a comprehensive, 
balanced, fair and market -oriented manner.  
• Members should contribute to the reduction of trade - and production -distorting subsidies 
and practices in a substantial, proportionate and progressive  manner, bearing in mind 
their responsibility for distortions in international markets. The development needs of 
Members and non -trade concerns, such as food security and nutrition, should be 
considered.  
• The criteria in the subparagraphs of Annex 2 and the  corresponding transparency 
requirements must be revised  to ensure that they are fit for purpose and respect their 
fundamental and basic requirements.  
• Market access conditions should improve under the reform process of the Agreement on 
Agriculture; it shou ld also eliminate unjustified non -tariff barriers by strengthening 
implementation of the relevant WTO Agreements. This will contribute to global food 
security, to the real and effective integration of small and medium -sized agricultural 
producers into inte rnational markets, and will have a positive impact on the process of 
global economic recovery, especially for developing countries.  
6.  Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, which sets out the continuation of the reform process, 
is an obligation under in ternational law with which all WTO Members must comply. We invite 
Members to work together to meet the obligations under the Agreement and to conclude the reform 
process to which they all committed themselves in the Uruguay Round.  
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